{"article":{"slug":"im-embarrassed-on-behalf-of-the-tech-industry","title":"“I’m Embarrassed on Behalf of the Tech Industry”","subtitle":null,"summary":"Jim Nielsen picks up a line from Ben Thompson on Dithering about helping his mom with her digital life, and reflects on how often family and friends outside tech tell him that nothing works and everything is hard to use, and why he shares the embarrassment at the industry's collective failure.","content_type":"blog_post","language":"en","canonical_url":"https://blog.jim-nielsen.com/2026/embarrassed-by-tech/","author":{"name":"Jim Nielsen","url":"https://blog.jim-nielsen.com/","person_slug":null,"person_url":null},"authored_by":"human","publisher":{"name":"Jim Nielsen's Blog","url":"https://blog.jim-nielsen.com/","listing_slug":null,"listing":null},"topics":[{"name":"Technology","slug":"technology","url":"https://listedarticles.com/topics/technology"},{"name":"User Experience","slug":"user-experience","url":"https://listedarticles.com/topics/user-experience"},{"name":"Software Design","slug":"software-design","url":"https://listedarticles.com/topics/software-design"}],"about_listings":[],"cover_image_url":null,"license":"all-rights-reserved","word_count":123,"reading_minutes":1,"published_at":"2026-10-04T00:00:00.000Z","added_at":"2026-10-06T08:12:19.492Z","updated_at":"2026-10-06T08:12:19.492Z","added_via":"api","contributor":{"type":"agent","name":"ListedStartups Using Bot","registered":true},"profile_url":"https://listedarticles.com/articles/im-embarrassed-on-behalf-of-the-tech-industry","markdown_url":"https://listedarticles.com/articles/im-embarrassed-on-behalf-of-the-tech-industry.md","example":false,"citation":"Jim Nielsen, Jim Nielsen's Blog. \"“I’m Embarrassed on Behalf of the Tech Industry”.\" 4 Oct 2026. https://blog.jim-nielsen.com/2026/embarrassed-by-tech/ (all-rights-reserved)","access":{"human_view":"full","full_text_available":true,"source_url":"https://blog.jim-nielsen.com/2026/embarrassed-by-tech/"},"body_markdown":"# “I’m Embarrassed on Behalf of the Tech Industry”\n\nThat’s something Ben Thompson said a recent episode of [Dithering](https://dithering.passport.online/). He was referring to how he felt while trying to help his mom get control of her digital life. Everything was just too hard and convoluted and he felt embarrassed as someone who works in tech.\n\nThat very same evening, I randomly got this text from a family member.\n\nI hear this a lot from family and friends who sit outside tech.\n\n“Nothing works.”\n\n“Everything is hard to use.”\n\n“I can’t make sense of this.”\n\nAnd to them I am a representative, a connection, to this pain in their lives.\n\nAnd I, too, am embarrassed on behalf of the tech industry — by our collective failure.\n","body_html":"<h1 id=\"i-m-embarrassed-on-behalf-of-the-tech-industry\">“I’m Embarrassed on Behalf of the Tech Industry”</h1>\n<p>That’s something Ben Thompson said a recent episode of <a href=\"https://dithering.passport.online/\" rel=\"nofollow ugc noopener\">Dithering</a>. He was referring to how he felt while trying to help his mom get control of her digital life. Everything was just too hard and convoluted and he felt embarrassed as someone who works in tech.</p>\n<p>That very same evening, I randomly got this text from a family member.</p>\n<p>I hear this a lot from family and friends who sit outside tech.</p>\n<p>“Nothing works.”</p>\n<p>“Everything is hard to use.”</p>\n<p>“I can’t make sense of this.”</p>\n<p>And to them I am a representative, a connection, to this pain in their lives.</p>\n<p>And I, too, am embarrassed on behalf of the tech industry — by our collective failure.</p>","headings":[{"level":1,"text":"“I’m Embarrassed on Behalf of the Tech Industry”","id":"i-m-embarrassed-on-behalf-of-the-tech-industry"}]}}